Mrs. Jones roars to life!

Mrs. Jones roars to life! There is something exciting about the sound of a Detroit Diesel starting up. The hum runs through my body, the hiss of the air system reaching its peak. Mrs. Jones stating, "I'm ready now". We discovered the strange thing that happens when we are parked for an extended period. When another bus rolls by, we get that yearning to get on the road again. I have had the roar in my blood all my life. I've hitchhiked and driven across this country more times then I can remember. The far away places from my 8-3/4 Navy years and later the RVing & touring time. Christi & I had a house in Tombstone, AZ and thought we would never leave it, but the travel bug constantly gnaws at me. So we built Mrs. Jones. What was totally unexpected to me was that the travel bug bit Christi! And her case is much worse than mine. Now we are managing a RV resort in So. Cal. and now our blood boils every time we hear a Detroit Diesel screaming by. The only cure is to batten down the hatches and press the button. Mrs. Jones roars to life! "Honey, it's time to go." Oh wait, she's already strapped in! Here we go. North, South, Beach, Desert? We love our Bus! HUMMMMMMMMMMM. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

Meeting & Greeting (michael)

Meeting & Greeting It is a very strange phenomenon living with a bus around you. Not just the fact that you built it to suit you and your needs and with the turn of a key, or flick of a switch in our case, it will take you to all points of this great continent. I am talking about the strange thing that happens every time we park. People, mostly men, stop and just stare at her. Not Christi, the bus! They just stand there looking up and down at her like they have been pulled back into their past or lost in a dream. Then the haze is gone from their eyes and they are at the door asking about her and reminiscing about the good old days driving for some big tour company. Their eyes light up as I take them through the bus. We talk about the past; theirs and ours, and the hours pass like minutes and before you know it, we are just like old friends. Now, can someone tell me what it is about an old bus? It does not seem to matter what year, make or model of bus you have. People seem to love looking and talking about them. We have made some great friends since we built Mrs. Jones and I am sure that we will make many more. It's a crazy life, but we sure feel safe with 15 tons of metal around us. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

I know it has been awhile. (michael)

Hello All, I know it has been awhile. Christi and I have been very, very busy. After building Mrs. Jones, moving out of our house, a 4,500 mile, 9 states tour, we are now in Ramona, CA managing an RV resort for Western Horizon Resorts. While we were in Blue Mesa we were offered the job. Christi and I gave it alot of thought. We love being on the road touring but the "Pass the Hat" plan for our shows could not support the tour. So we took the job. We started on Sept. 21st, 09 and boy are we knee deep in it now. Well, we have done all kinds of jobs in our life time but nothing like this. This is like running a small city. Christi is the General Manager and runs the admin. side of things and is responsable for everything. I am a co-manager and deal with the resort systems and grounds. Thank goodness we have a great staff here to help us. With all this we are still doing shows within 100 miles of here. Every day we learn and then we learn that we need to learn more. One plus is that our son Jared can come down to see us on the weekends. All in all we are having a great time. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

I'm a lazy Man (michael)

I'm a lazy Man

What happens when you get on the road? One seems to fall into a routine of sorts. At home, everything is in place. You know all your surroundings. You have your perma-list of responsibilities and you do the grind without hesitation. The Blah Blah everyday life engulfs you.

But something happens when you hit the road. Things change. The fresh and new sights and sounds stir the adventurer in you. Everything changes. Your senses tune in to a new environment, new people and you have to explore.

I found there are not enough hours in the day. By the time we walk, fish, eat, play poker, golf, sing, shop, meet & greet, show off Mrs. Jones and a hundred other things, it's time for bed. That "honey do" list keeps getting longer and longer and I just get more lazy by the day.

I think it's just that we don't want to miss anything. Why work today when you can put it off until tomorrow? I guess we just joined the procrastinators club.

So what's so bad about that anyway? Why did we hit the road in the 1st place? We wanted to see the great USA and take in all its' wonder. Putting a couple of things off for awhile is not going to hurt anybody! We need some time off.

Then I ask myself," How long is too long?" I don't know. The new has to wear off sometime, right! This can't go on forever. I'm sure boredom is just around the next corner. Then I'll get busy. Yea, that's the ticket, I'll do it then. I'm not lazy at all......Right?

All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

A Post to Toast (michael)

A Post to Toast

http://blog.toastfloats.com/

My Dear Toast, Christi and I think you and the Doc. are doing a fine job. We will be on the Road in just 60 days. Can you believe it? Our son Jared, a true tween, will be going to his dads' in CA for 7th & 8th grade. There is a small chance that he will come with us and we will home school. Christi has been reading your War Intell and will implement your tactics. We tried the traditional home school program before and it was a total flop. We truly believe you have paved the beaten path for a HS system that WORKS. Now for the important part, where do we send the Care Package??? Stay Safe, M&C

For those of you how don't know of her, her blogging was the catalyst for us to take the Giant life altering step into the bus and blog world. We will forever be grateful to Toast.

All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

Laundromat Blues (christi)

Laundromat Blues So here I sit at the local laundromat/carwash combo in Tombstone, Arizona. I found a tablet of neon pink paper in my Jeep console, to record this moment in time. I didn't expect to find myself here for at least two more months. But let me explain my dilemma. (Those of the male persuasion may find this terribly boring, so consider yourself warned.) There I was crunching on my usual breakfast of yogurt and homemade granola, when I noticed a strange smell. Kind of a cross between burning rubber and an electrical malfunction. I actually stopped in mid-sentence (no comments from the men that are still reading, please) and said, "What is that smell?" Before I could get the whole thought out, Michael was flying off the barstool, headed for the washing machine, which was billowing smoke. OK, maybe not billowing but the room was filling with smoke. As Michael unplugged the smoking beast, I opened windows and doors to clear the air of the stench. Fortunately it's a warm Spring morning, so we didn't have to choke and freeze at the same time. It's not like we weren't warned. The washer has been making a loud roaring sound for the last two weeks during the spin cycle. But with bus obsession and all, we just ignored it. I just hoped it could hold out a couple more months. I needed that time to acquire the appropriate laundromat attitude. The laundromat is the only thing I can think of that I don't look forward to about going on the road. I just want to throw in a load of clothes and get on with the other chores of the day. The laudromat requires sorting, packing and loading the laundry into the car. Gathering hangers, detergent and softener. Then there's the quarters. I have actually started saving quarters for our tour. You never can trust the change machines. And you have to have reading material or something else to keep you from the boredom that comes with waiting for the rinse cycle. There's also the other issues: packing 6 loads of laundry into the back of the Jeep, only to get there and have all the machines full with a line of people waiting OR have all the machines full, but no one there to extract their clean clothes. Now, I have been guilty a time or two of that one, but it's still annoying! Basically, it's just the inconvenience of it all. I know, put on my big girl panties and deal with it. And I will. I just wanted some attitude adjustment time. Instead, I was thrown headlong into the laundromat blues. I was lucky today, I was the only one there. And for the next couple of months, I only have to wash the clothes there. I still have a working electric dryer and my favorite solar dryer, commonly known as the clothesline. I'm really going to miss that. I actually find it very relaxing to hang out the clothes and there's nothing like the smell of clothes hung out in our clean Arizona air. I know, corny. But now that I have been thrust into the laundromat life once again, I will accept it with grace, and patience and a good book. Maybe even a glass of wine. After all, it's five-o'clock somewhere. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

TIPPING, what the heck are you thinking? (us)

TIPPING, what the heck are you thinking? When I started in show business, I was too embarrassed to ask for tips. I felt so bad about it that I would actually refuse a tip when offered. I couldn't even put a tip bowl out. I felt like it was begging for hand-outs. Then I met an old saxophone player, Doc Diamond. He asked me, "What the heck are you thinking?" He explained that the people watching your performance, your fans, want to tip you. They want to show you how much they appreciate your hard work on stage and that it's part of the show. If you shun their tips, you are not only insulting them, but you are not performing 100%. Learning to accept tips with grace and gratitude is not only important to our fans, it is necessary for us, as it is a big part of our income. In learning to accept tips for what I do, I also have become more aware of my tipping practices. I appreciate even more, those who give good service and care about the job they do. Here are some tips on tips. Who gives a tip? Everyone that receives a service, should give a tip. Whats a tip? A tip is a gratuity. A gift. A little something extra that someone gives to a person who performs a service. When that service is performed above and beyond your expectations you want to tip them well. When the service is not so good, then what? Most folks will still give a minimum tip. Sometimes you may not be sure when a tip is appropriate or not. Some of the usual places you would tip would be when you are served by valets, street acts, performers, wait staff, chefs, hosts, baggage handlers, paper boys/girls, anywhere or anywhere there is a tip bowl. You can also ask at a check-in counter or information booth as to who should be tipped. Sometimes giving a tip is as easy as adding it to your bill or tab. Sometimes, when the service is especially good, you want to give it directly to the person who performed the service and thank them face to face. In our particular profession, we find that people may be shy about coming up to the stage to put something in the tip bowl. They don't want to draw attention to themselves. To those of you who feel that way, just remember that when you step up, others that are hesitating will gain the courage to do the same. And of course, if you have a child with you, send them ! They love to run up and put it in there for you. So then, how much do you tip? Well, for food service it's about 20% of the total bill. Drinks are about $1.00 for each drink. Other professions have different expectations. As for performers, it really depends on how much you're enjoying the show. If the show is a "pass the hat", the only pay the performer receives is tips, so please be as generous as you can. Speaking for ourselves, we appreciate every dollar that goes into that tip bowl. We do a lot of "pass the hat" shows due to today's economy and our audiences are generally very generous. It keeps us able to do what we love doing. In case we ever pass your way we say, "thank you very much" in advance for your generosity and appreciation! As a matter of fact, we are basing this Summer's, "Rolling With The Flow Tour", on the economy and our appreciation for our fans. 90% of our shows will be, "pass the hat" shows. All the Best Michael & Christi All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

IS IT HOME YET? (christi)

IS IT HOME YET? (Christi) I've been spending the last couple of days going through stuff. Right now I'm working on our tool trailer. It stores everything we need for the construction business. Needless to say, it's a mess. I know there are neat, organized men out there. My wonderful man is not one of them. His idea of cleaning up a job site is putting everything; tools, half empty caulk tubes and leftover hardware all in one coffee can or nail bucket. Then, if I'm lucky, that container will make it (barely), to just inside the doorway of the tool trailer. That's where I come in. Well, if I ever want to find those parts again. So, the biggest part of this cleaning and sorting project was finding at least 7 of these potluck containers. (I know, I better get used to potlucks.) I was actually surprised that I only had a handful of, "Honey, what is this and can we toss it?" Five years ago, me in a hardware store was like Michael in Victoria's Secret. I've come a long way, baby. But that's another blog. Anyway, as I was sorting and tossing, I heard a lot of sawing and screwing. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) I went to take a peek. Wow! I can see us living here. The walls are defining our living space. It reminds me of when we're building a house. The owners always have the same reaction. The foundation/slab looks small. Then as we start framing walls, it looks bigger and the 'wow factor' kicks in. Then the drywall makes it look smaller again. And as the paint and finishing touches go in, they see their home. As with them, I stand in our compact 40 x 8 foot space and see our place, our space, our home. We're building this for us, for our adventure. The building of it is an adventure in itself. Michael is finding himself in somewhat unfamiliar territory. He finds that he has jumped the gun now and then, and will have to back-track a little, or do something 'after the fact' that will make it a little more difficult than it might have been. Yet, he keeps moving forward, undaunted. I find myself once again amazed at his diligence and patience. Two qualities I lack miserably. I see my man working hard to fulfill his dream to go on the road again and I fall in love with him all over again. Honey, is it home yet? All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

The Best of Both Worlds (michael)

The Best of both Worlds. I have been in the RV Community since 1994. My 1st RV was a 1973 Kayot 22/24 class A. What a piece of..... I loved that old wreak. It was my ticket to freedom. Through the years I up graded. A nice Terry travel trailer. Then to a Bounder and the last one was a class A Gulf Stream. I bought a membership and went to all pot lucks, outings and Mexican train get togethers. I have always dreamed of owning a bus. A real bus. But buses are for the rich. Right! They would never except people like us into their world. Not we are bad people, we are quite good acutely. But the bus people live on lakes and golf courses.Right? Now, we are still the same people only now we own a bus. a nice bus. A MCI Tour bus and we are getting to know the bus people. We are finding out that the bus people and the RV people are the same people. They are helpful, friendly and kind. Turns out, we have always been a part of this great big family. Who knew? "Honey? were gonna need another happy hour".

All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

Who's your Phil? (michael)

Who's your Phil? After reading more and more on-line about buses, I started to swim in doubt. Just as most, if not, all of you other bus nuts did. I stepped back and looked at this thing in the driveway, ripped apart, sub-project after sub-project opened and scattered about the yard. A grand vehicle that I drove home under its own power only 4 weeks ago now calls to me in my waking hours and in my dreams, "fix me, complete me, take me for a ride". Now I build houses in 3 to 6 months. Remodels in less time than that. Why does this seem so different? So alien? I am doing the same thing. Approaching the project in the same "git'er done" game plan. Then I start to question myself. "Can I do this?" What do I mean? I have to do this! "O, STOP IT"! I know what I need, I'm going to call Phil. You see, we've got a time constraint on our hands. We have to be in a bus, in Blue Mesa, CO for July 4th weekend for a 3 show stand. I need Phil. Phil will get me back in the groove. He knows everything. Phil will show me the way, give me the straight path to go on. But, how will we pay Phil? I don't have the funds for expert help. Ahhh, my old friend barter. Hey Phil, what do you need? How about this and you help me with this? Deal. Wow, Phil came over yesterday and started removing the air conditioning system. I started hearing the old Mighty Mouse song, "Here I come to save the day". Phil took charge. Get this. Cut that. Bring this over to that. I was safe again. Things are moving along at warp speed again. My thinking is back on track. I think we all need a Phil around from time to time. But I don't think Phil knows just how much we need him. Not just his expertise. We need his great attitude and hard charging "lets get it done" and "you can do it" ways. He puts it all back in perspective. I can do this! So, what's your "Phil's" name? Grumpy? Nick? Tom, Dick or Harry? The point is," WE NEED OUR PHILS!" To teach us. To show us the way through the dark. To show us how to become a Phil for someone else. So all you Phil's out there, the next time you get that stupid question, that call in the middle of a rainy night, remember you're the hero now, the go-to guy. When all is wrong in the world, only you, in our eyes, can make it right. And one day we will take that torch and carry it proudly in your honor. Thank you Phil for how you are and all that you do. All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

The Bright Side (Christi)

THE BRIGHT SIDE I was watching the news a couple of days ago as they were reporting a story on a tent city that has emerged in Sacramento. These are not the mentally ill or veterans suffering from PTSD or drug addicts or those we normally think of as homeless. The folks that have found themselves there were like many of us living paycheck to paycheck. But their paychecks had stopped. They are in a situation they never dreamed they'd be in and are making the best of it, while trying to find jobs. While I have had some extremely hard times, I have never had to live in a tent. A feeling of gratitude came over me. I felt grateful that even when I have lost sleep over money problems, I have never been where they are. Close yes, but not quite there. I realized how lucky I am to have the opportunity to work with my husband, to build our bus. To know that we will never have to live in a tent. We understand that it could get really tough but we will have a home. This has actually been a very comforting thought for me. Growing up, I was lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time with my grandparents. They, of course, lived during the Great Depression and were always very frugal. I learned alot from them about not being wasteful, something our kids and grandkids may have not learned, had it not been for our country's current economic situation. I was also very lucky to have a mother who taught us to look on the bright side. Looking back I realize how hard that must have been for her. She was a single mom in the 70's. Wages for women sucked. My father didn't pay child support. Yet, we were never on welfare. We never went hungry. We always had a roof over our heads. And Mom always had a positive attitude. I come from a line of strong, hard-working women and I am grateful for that. Yes, I give into that temptation to whine, but when it gets the best of me, I try to remember what those before me have been through and remind myself that they went through much more. I need to just put on my big girl panties and deal with it! Living in this situation our country has found itself in, I choose to do as those before me and "look on the bright side" and know that all things happen for a reason. We have been living in a "throw away" society. Now, we have a big fat wake-up call. How will we handle our personal struggle with this? I think that the majority will stand up to the challenge. History is repeating itself. Those of us who learned from those who lived through this before need to teach those who have not had the experience. So, fellow bus nuts, raise your glasses to our good fortune to have this opportunity to travel this great country of ours and remember to always, "look on the bright side." And if your having trouble seeing the bright side, move your bus for a better view! All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

A Thank You to Mr. Trevor Hall (michael)

A Thank You to Mr. Trevor Hall. Christi & I would like to thank Mr. Trevor Hall for all his help with our life changing MCI Bus adventure. He sold us this great bus. He sent us an e-mail. Trevor wrote "Hey Mike and Christi! I just checked out your blog and you guys are making great progress! You will be on the road in no time! And at least you got all the "no fun" stuff out of the way, now its on to the fun "clean" work. Well, I just wanted to drop you guys a line and say hello. Hope all is well! Keep up the good work!-Trevor". Thank you for believing in us and helping to make our wish come true.

All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

Different Other Stuff (Christi)

Different Other Stuff It's interesting that Michael wrote on this topic of stuff. I've been thinking about it myself for the last few days and wanted to write about it, but wasn't sure what direction to take. It's interesting that as we get rid of stuff that we have been lugging around for years, we must at the same time gather new stuff for our pending adventure. By the way, we have lived in an RV before, though it was more of necessity than choice and we were parked pretty much the whole time. Living that way was much like the proverbial, 10 pounds of crap stuffed into a 5 pound bag. After almost 2 years, I was so anxious to get out of that rig, that we bought a trashed fixer upper (house) and moved into it in 2 weeks. We had plywood floors and just the bare essentials. But it felt like a mansion. So why would I even consider moving back into an RV again? Well, this time is much different. This time we are doing it because we want to. While Michael has toured before, this will be a first for me. I've had a small, but sweet, taste of what touring will be like and I can't wait to get on the road. As usual, I've gotten off the subject. This recent focus on stuff started about a week ago. We've been seriously down-sizing around the house, although there is still alot that must go. We sold one of our vehicles to a neighbor who, hearing of our plans, asked if we were interested in selling. It seemed the flood gates opened after that. Living in a small town can be a pain in the neck, but it has it's good points, too. It's hard to miss a 40 foot bus in someone's yard, so word go out. People slow down and gawk as they drive by. Another thing about a small town is that, after some trial and error, you find out who your real friends are. Almost all of our real friends have shown up with a contribution to our new venture. It's as if they want to be a part of it. Either that or they can't wait till we leave! I have to say thanks to Rocky, George, Doc, brother Bill and we can't leave out another Bill who gave us redneck decorating advice. (It is a bus after all). He suggested leaving the carpet runner on the ceiling and add rope lights. But the best yet...I told him about Michael wanting to keep our king-size bed because his feet hang over the end of smaller beds. He said, (you have to read this with a southern accent), "You don't need no king size bed, just push open that winder and stick yer feet out!" Thanks again, Bill. But the best and most surprising part of this has been the feeling of rightness. I was stressing about getting this bus, right now, in this economy, with our construction business verrrry sloooow. Money is tight. What the hell are we doing?? But as I drove behind Michael the day we brought the bus home, I knew it would be alright. I didn't know how for sure and I knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, but it would be OK and fun. And since the day we sold my car, it seems everything is falling into place. As if it's supposed to happen this way. I can't help but glance up at the Big Man Upstairs and say, "Thanks". All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

Christi's Virgin Blog (christi)

Christi's Virgin Blog So, I've finally decided to sit myself down and give this a go. So, please be gentle in the comment section. :) I've been waiting for the right time to add my input to this blogging thing. As I was drying my hair this morning, (a mindless mundane chore that allows my thoughts to wander), I was going over Michael's last couple of blogs. I realized that now that the rig is here, a lot of his writing will be interesting only to those who are nuts enough (our soulmates), to take on this type of project. While it may be a learning experience or guideline for some, for others...BORING!! Much like Michael's favorite TV shows. You know, The History, Science and NASA channels, or, are you ready?... THE RESEARCH CHANNEL, (can't they make this stuff more exciting?). Ok, so I have a short attention span. Anyway, back to the task at hand. Right now Michael is taking out all the overhead compartments, which seem to be built to hold Tammy Faye's cosmetic case instead of the average person's carry-on luggage. This job requires taking out every screw, nut and bolt, one at a time. Too tedious for me! My idea of demolition requires a crow bar sledge hammer and a Saws-All. MMMM, love those power tools! But then he is a much more patient soul than I. I look forward to the part where we get to start putting in flooring, walls, replacing windows, etc. Now that's excitement! Ok, so I probably could use a little help in the excitement department, too. Now that the bus is finally here, I find myself wanting to say, "Is it done yet? Can we go now?" Alas, there's sooooooo much to do before we can go anywhere, and not just readying the bus. It's a bit overwhelming. But I'll save that for next time. Oh, Honey! Where's that sledge hammer?? All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

There's Always Tomorrow ( michael )

There's Always Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day we go to Tucson, AZ to see/pick up our new "to us" MCI bus. To do the deal. As you have read, we are looking forward to the day as it will change our lives in ways we haven't even thought of. As we prepare for our new family member, we wonder which route to take. Should we take 1 to 2 years and totally convert the bus so all the comforts of home are at our finger tips? Or, should we throw in the basics in the next 3 months and enjoy the USA and complete the project while on tour? We are asking all who read our posts to ponder these questions and give us your point of view, and please ask your friends what they think. The pros and cons. We can use all the help we can get. Whatever path, we can be sure, "There's Always Tomorrow." All the Best, Michael & Christi Please Comment Below

Idle Hands? ( michael )

Idle Hands? I don't think so! We have some time until the bus arrives in the driveway and we jump into its refit abyss. We could rest on our laurels and wait. NOT! We are heeding the advice of our heroine and trailblazer Toast. She writes a hands-on sailing blog called Toast Floats ( blog.toastfloats.com/ ) that is good reading and quite entertaining. She suggested that we hit the websites with a live aboard theme and research, research, research. I have to say that we have found a wealth of information from bus conversion to places to spend the night for free. It's almost overwhelming. I have also found alot of sites that are not complete. The authors start out with great topics, lots of photos and step by step instructions and then...........................................Nothing. Ahhh hello!!! I got this thing off, now what do I do with it??? Then there are the Mega websites that have all the links one could ask for on the RV conversion topic. BUT, when you start to explore this mega vat, its empty. The multitude of links go nowhere. I look for a contact link............none, and when I do find one, I get no response. Then I find that alot of these sites have not been updated for years, yes, YEARS! It's like leaving 2 squares of toilet paper on the roll. Sure, the roll's not empty, but you sure can't finish the job with it! Isn't there some sort of web spider out there that targets these sites? Something to remind the authors to maintain their sites? If not, how about tagging the dead sites so we don't waste our time. Hey, Microsoft, anyone? I understand that sometimes the "life" thing gets in the way of ones good intentions and S*** happens. So why not give the site up? Ask for help, pass the torch or sell it! Hey, there's an idea. Ebay anyone? I could list all the dead ends and maybe I'll start a list. Hmmm, Maybe I'll call it "stale sites or dead links or don't give a rats rear.com. All I ask is that the authors of these dead/stale sites show some pride and responsibility. You showed you had it when you started the project. It's time you finished what you started. Complete the project. Update the site. Put a fork in it. DO SOMETHING! Idle Hands? Blaaaah........ All the Best, Michael & Christi

Careful what you wish for! (michael)

Careful what you wish for! The ad stated; 1952 Crown Coach previously converted to RV. Hall-Scott 'pumpkin' six-cylinder gas engine needs work. Must be moved from current location by very large wrecker. Would be ideal for metal salvaging, as coach is built like the proverbial "tank"; guessing weight to be 10-13 tons. Found this one on Craig's list. OK, What just happened??? Deep breath, close your eyes, cross your fingers, tap your heels 3 times and make a wish. Wait! Lets go over this again. Search the web, find an ad, 6 e-mails, 1 phone call, 30 min. in the suv, a map, a greeting, a hand shake and we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere AZ in cloud of dust and a title with the former owner yelling "good luck" as he speeds out of site. Hey, I wished for an affordable, older, 40 ft. bus. I guess one has to be specific when one wishes. Well, it won't start, "didn't see that coming". I called " the big tow truck guy" and made a deal to tow the Hulka to tombstone for $200. When he got there, he changed the agreement to the tune of $500. We sent the *%X^#.. liar down the road. Now were stuck. What ever happened to when one gives their word in a deal? People like that should be stripped of all they have to teach them a lesson. O, I could go on!!! Deep breath, close your eyes, cross your fingers, tap your heels 3 times. Wait for it, wait for it, Nothing... We'll keep you posted.

Set back... (michael)

Set back... This whole dream of hitting the road came about when my dear brother william got it in his head that the IRS was going to take away his birthday along with all his earthly belongings and he was going to move on to an Indain reservation, ???? don't ask!. Now in his deranged free for all he tried to give away the class a motorhome that we had sold to him sohe would not be living under a bridge somewhere. The motorhome is a 1992, 36ft. Gulfstream that was had lived in while shopping, buying, remolding & moving into our home. There was only minor repairs to do on the rig when we sold it to him and he lived in it for about 1 year to date. When his came to us with this absurd idea, we said that we would put it back in our name until this passed and his use of it could be maintained. He said, a homeless lady with 5 dogs agreed to take over the pmts. We don't know this girl and we would not have sold the rig to anyone save a family member in need. So, we said, NO. My dear misguided brother said, well if that is the way its going to be? you can just take it back. By this time william had found and old mobile home in st. david, az and moved into it. We told him, we will take back the rig & you should keep your new home and fix your IRS problem. 3 weeks of our dream plan had gone by when I call william to pick up th rig. He said, ok but don't be mad! Up to this point, we have starting in moition the big dream as our blog would indacate. I told my loving wife that I should go alone to help him remove all of his belongs from the camperand just in case something is out of order, I could fix it. OMG, What mess, He has ripped the whole rig apart, Heance the , Don't be mad comment. The bedroom, Gone. Closets, Gone. Dinette, Gone. Even the dashboard, yes, the gages, housing, all gone. Again, OMG. I turned to my brother and said commly, I can see that you have a grand plan to make this rig just the way you want it and now your stuck with it. He agreed to make the pmts. and I went home to break the news to my tolerant bride. Long story longer, we are without a rig to hit the road with. So, the search is on for a new to us rig. We will post as it goes. more hell or high water, were going! Michael & Christi

Climbing the STUFF Mountain ( michael )

"You see that mountain up there? One of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain." No, not the Ole Rivers song. I'm talking about the STUFF mountain. The love of my life woke up this a.m. and stated, "We need to go through the back room this afternoon!" I say to myself, "Lord, where did all this come from?" Not only do we have our stuff, we have O.P.S. (other peoples stuff.) How did we become the Keepers of O.P.S.? Don't they live somewhere? Shouldn't they be responsible for there own stuff? How do we get rid of O.P.S.? Do you call them and say, "Hey, how are you? Come get YOUR stuff." And what if they just don't come and get their stuff? Do you take their stuff to them? Do you give it to the local thrift store? Do you put O.P.S. out on the curb??? Is this legal? Sometimes life is tough, and it requires tough love. Yes, we should be nice about it, BUT, we have to get rid of our stuff too. OK, we will start with nice. I gaze upon all of our stuff and think back of how a certain THING came to be here. Do I/WE really need it? I trace back to Toast Floats blogs. "Hale to Toast" With the space and weight limitations of an RV, we must think; how many functions can this THING do? Does this THING hold that much sentimental value? Will LIFE go on without this THING? It is a true blessing to be able to read what other people have gone through preparing to hit the road. Maybe we can avoid some costly mistakes along the way. "Honey, tie off this rope." "Yodalahehoooooo." Where the hell did this come from??? It's gonna be a long afternoon!

Order in Chaos ( Michael )

I'm lost. I long. I TOAST??? What in the world am I doing? This odd feeling has slowly taken over my senses. I find myself searching for something but I can't put my finger on it. I talk to my "God sent" wife, Christi, but I have no questions. I look into the eyes of passing humans only to find emptiness. Books, family, history, science? Nothing! Hmm. Internet, ok, calm, sand, a palm tree. Hmm, Sea of Cortez, ok enter. Aah photos, sea life, beaches, mmmmm. Sailing. Hmmm Toast? Ok click. Hmm read, read. I continue to read. Life, read, read, read adventure, sigh, read, read,read trials, read, read, read frustration, read, read, read. Mid-life crisis? BANG!!! Could this be it? I read this heroine's words and could not stop. Toast, hmm I like Toast. I ask my wife, "Honey, can we get a boat and sail off into to sunset?" "How big of a boat?" she asks. I say, "Well, oh say 25' ". "Kitchen and bath?" she asks with lowered eyes. "Ahh no", I reply "And why not?" she asks. "We can't afford fixtures," I reply. She says in a loving tone, "Not right now dear." "But Honey, Toast did it!" I exclaimed. "What is a toast? she asked. I pulled up Toast Floats on her lap top and she hopped around, laughed and got the gist of Toast. "Baby, we can't do that" she explained, "I know you were in the Navy, but we don't know enough about a sail boat to do that! Sorry." I was stunned, not because of the rejection of my 'off the wall' request. It was the tone in her voice. A tone that I've felt growing inside me for a long time. It was a tone of possibility! You see, I am on a dead run to 50 years of age, in July. Damn. My beautiful wife has just passed that milestone. Maybe she is feeling that emotional perculator too. "Honey, can we load up the motorhome and drive off into the sunset?" I ask. She answers, "That sounds so nice! Ok, lets go!" Once again my mind is blown, "Did she say yes?" I ask myself, "YES!!! YES she did!" Happy New Year, let the planning begin. I love Toast! I can now see Order in Chaos. I need a asprin. michaelhargis.com